The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1887-09-30
miscellaneous.
Wonders Of the Spider.

In the autumn time We cannot walk along
our garden paths without brushing through
the webs which spiders have spun across, but
perhaps we never think of the beautiful little
specimen of weaving we have damaged so
greatly.
When the spider begins her web she makes
her foundation of one or two threads doubled
and rcdoubed then she draws threads in
every direction and crosses them again with
Others until the work is completed. Then
she makes her dcn-a little apartment lined
with the same silky stuff which she spins
into her web, and from here she darts out TO
secure any luckless little fly who is caught.
! 1t is not easy to get the small body of The
captive away without tearing the web, but
the spider manages so as to injure it as little
us possible For this purpose she cuts her
web Just round where the poor fly is caught,
and afterwards it is beautifully mended.
Delicate, indeed, is the cordage of this web {;
what. then, are the instruments used in pro-
ducing it These are only the claws of the
spiders feet with those it guides and
arrangcs the glutinous threads as they are
drawn from the spnners.
The number offibres of which single
thread is formed contributes greatly to its
strength. Rope-making resembles this pro-
cess and, the end OF thread, by being
spiCu Out, ID uihuC W grasp huIC III III luC
object to which 1t is attached.
Spiders thread may often be observed
floating in the air, and stretched across a
road or brook. 1t is produced by the gos-
samer spider for, having no wings where
with to fly, nor the power of darting, like
some other insects, considerable distance
the little creature is enabled to form balloon,
with which it can rise 20 a great height. In
this aerial navigation, the little creature floats
with its back downward, and its legs folded :;
aud thus reposiug at its ease, upborne by
streamers of silken threads, it commits itself
to the upper air One naturalist states that
when he assembled high tower lie saw these
insects above him!
Some species show great skill in building
They hollow out cells; they bore galleries ;
they make vaults they build, as it were,
bridges; they construct entrances to their
habilations. They even adapt doors to these
entrances which work beautifully OH hinge
On looking within, we find extreme neatness
The soil in which these dwellings are found
may he humid, but no water can enter them.
The walls are nicely covered with tapestry
of silk, having the lustre of satin, and of q
dazzling whteness.
Another spider chooses kind of red earth
about three inches deep. The wall of the
tube is covered with n kind of smooth NOR
tar This is very thin and soft 10 the touch;
but before the spider makes it, she covers the
earthly plaster work with coarse web on
which she CLUES her slkcn tapestry.
Who taught these despised insects how to
build for themselves such wonderful homes
and to spread such wonderful nets over the
ground and stretch them from tree to tree
Naturalists say that it is instinct, but this
came from God, and in their works we see
the hand of wonder working God. Well
did the Psalmist exclaim, 80 Lord how
wonderful are Thy works! in wisdom hast
Thou made them all the earth is full of Thy
riches"